Povilas Žudys¹

¹Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

Abstract

 Acute bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is a frequent cause of arriving into the Emergency Department, which is ending in death if not treated on time. Due to increasing progress in medicine, CT is used to diagnose and control gastrointestinal bleeding. CT angiography is a promising test method not only for its accuracy but also for its increasing availability. Moreover, the study is performed quite quickly, which helps to evaluate the current patient’s condition effectively. It is a common cause of entering the hospital because of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. If active bleeding is not detected in time and stopped, there is a high probability that the patient will die. Organ scanning plays an increasingly important role in finding a bleeding location and differentiating the disease. It is crucial for decision making and choosing treatment strategies such as vascular embolization too. Diagnosis and treatment require a comprehensive examination that requires not only radiologists but also internal disease, emergency medicine doctor, gastroenterologists, and surgeons intervention. This article reviews general information on acute gastrointestinal bleeding and disease control using CT angiography.

Keywords: acute bleeding, gastrointestinal tract, CT angiography, vascular embolisation.